376 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



AliG. 



wily fly gave it a dab behind the head with its 

 ovipositor, leaving an egg lodged for future de- 

 velopment. Good, thought I, and left them alone, 

 Alas ! some of those identical cocoons now or- 

 nament the bare branches of my once beautiful 

 evergreen, not yet cut down as a cumberer of the 

 ground. Such has been my experience, .and I 

 paid for my learning. — J. Stauffer, in liural 

 New-Yorker. 



HISTORY OF A FBESH TVATER 

 AQUARIUM. 



During the last spring, I commenced the for- 

 mation of an aquarium. I accordingly procured 

 a glass jar that would hold several quarts of 

 water, and covered the bottom to the depth of 

 two or three inches with coarse sand, with a little 

 23ond-mud on top ; then sallied out in search of an- 

 imals to stock it with. Going to a neighboring 

 brook, I fished in its waters, and as the result of 

 my endeavors, captured myriads of small fry — 

 small shells, crustaceas, caddis worms, duns and 

 drakes, as the English angler calls them, with ma- 

 ny water beetles, insects, young dragon flies and 

 tad-poles. I also pulled up several roots of "eel 

 grass," or ballis veria, with two or three young 

 water cresses, then just putting out their leaves, 

 and a bunch of a beautiful delicate moss from a 

 still pool, with multitudes of small snails creep- 

 ing over its leaves. Returning home with my 

 spoils, I immediately planted the roots, filled 

 the vessel with pure water, threw in my live stock, 

 and left them. 



In a few days the water grew clear, the plants 

 throve well, and the animals had accommodated 

 themselves to their new quarters. 



On subsequent walks to the river and ponds, I 

 made new acquisitions to my little colony — several 

 beautiful newts, or water salamanders, with some 

 fresh water muscles, gave more variety to my col- 

 lection. 



For hours have I watched, with never failing 

 interest, this little company. By degrees they 

 became more and more accustomed to me ; the 

 salamander, instead of darting to the bottom at 

 my approach, would remain at the top, and take 

 from my hand a fly or bit of meat, while the wa- 

 ter tiger, unscared, pursued with relentless hate 

 the tad-poles round the vessel. 



I found that the harmless tad-poles sufl"ered 

 much from their companions. The water tiger 

 was particularly fond of nipping off their tails 

 with his scissor-like jaws, and if by good chance 

 they escaped, they would rush into the jaws of a 

 voracious dragon fly, while a coujjle of water 

 beetles would fight and tug away over the re- 

 mains of their carcasses. 



The water fleas and snails, though not so inter- 

 esting in their habits, proved to be extremely 

 useful ; these little scavengers were ever on the 

 search after any particles of decaying matter, on 

 which they live. They are the humble means of 

 removing from our swamps much foul matter 

 which gives rise to deadly exhalations. 



The microscope revealed to my eyes a new 

 world within this jar. Myriads of new and strange 

 forms of animal and vegetable life, of wonderous 

 beauty and variety, sported through this minia- 

 ture woi'ld. 



The summer passed away and winter came, but 



my little vivarium still held its own. Some 

 changes had occurred : some of the creatures had 

 died, but others took their place. My salaman- 

 der had disappeared, and I suff'ered a few other 

 losses, but there were still enough to amuse and 

 instruct me. I removed them to a smaller room, 

 where they could get a few warm beams from the 

 winter sun, and they lived on, regardless of the 

 frosts and snows without, though perhaps some- 

 what chilled some of those cold nights when the 

 fire got low. How much to be envied by their 

 companions, now frozen up beneath the snow 

 and ice ! 



It is now the end of March. My aquarium still 

 thrives vigorously. The plants grow rapidly, 

 though kept dowij somewhat by the snails feeding 

 on their leaves. The caddis worms, enclosed in 

 their snug fitting jackets, are pulling themselves 

 around, the bottom. The water beetles, "of activi- 

 ty inconceivable," scuttle about the vessel in 

 hot haste. The sluggish snails crawl up the sides 

 of the jar, or glide smoothly along the top of the 

 water, rowing themselves along by their horns. 

 But few deaths of any note have occurred during 

 all the winter. 



For a year now I have seen with admiring eyes 

 the every-day life of these little creatures ; and 

 how richly has all my care and trouble been re- 

 paid ! 



Thanks to the untiring energy and patience of 

 a few naturalists, the aquarium has within a few 

 years been discovered and perfected, until now 

 but little care and management are required to 

 keep in our rooms, year after year, these "drawing 

 room ornaments, flower gardens which never 

 wither, fairy lakes of perpetual calm, which no 

 storm blackens." — Portland Transcript. 



SMALL POX AND VACCIWATION". 



Hall's Journal of Health has the following ; 

 "From extended and close observation, the fol- 

 lowing general deductions seem to be warranted: 

 First, Infantile vaccination is an almost perfect 

 safeguard until the fourteenth year. Second, 

 At the beginning of fourteen the system gradu- 

 ally loses its capability of resistance, until about 

 twenty-one, when many persons become almost 

 as liable to small pox as if they had not been 

 vaccinated. Third, This liability remains in full 

 force until about forty-two, when the susceptibil- 

 ity begins to decline, and continues for seven 

 years to grow less and less, becoming extinct at 

 about fifty — the period of life when the genera: 

 revolution of the body begins to take place, dur- 

 ing which the system yields to decay, or takes a 

 new lease of life for two or three terms of seven 

 years each. Fourth, The grand practical use to 

 be made of these statements is : Let every youth 

 be re-vaccinated on entering fourteen ; let sev- 

 eral attempts be made, so as to be certain of safe- 

 ty. As the malady is more likely to prevail in 

 cities during the winter, special attention is in- 

 vited to the subject at this time." 



II^= J. Smart, of Vergennes, Vt., sheared a year- 

 ling buck this season whose fleece, unwashed, 

 \ie\g\iedi seventeen and three qiiarters pounds ; and 

 a four year old buck whose fleece weighed 11 ^ 

 pounds ; a^so an ewe sheep whose fleece weighed 

 9A pounds. 



